The legacy of Wales’s opencast mining past: the precarious restoration situation

<!doctype html> <html lang="en-GB" data-browser="IE"> <head> <title>The legacy of Wales’s opencast mining past: the precarious restoration situation</title> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1.0, width=device-width"> <meta name="description" content="The Welsh Parliament is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people. 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image_figure--inside image_figure--"> <img class="image__content-page image__content-page--inside image__content-page--" data-src="/media/w4lolq1b/opencast-coal-mine-dowlais-merthyr-tydfil.jpg?anchor=center&amp;mode=crop&amp;width=1600&amp;height=623&amp;rnd=133649881121070000&quality=75" alt="" /> <p class="image-content-page__caption"></p> </figure> <h1 class="content-page__heading-text">The legacy of Wales’s opencast mining past: the precarious restoration situation</h1> <p class="content-page__info-text"> Published 09/07/2024 &nbsp | &nbsp <span class="reading-time-calculation"> <span class="reading-time-calculation__prefix">Reading Time</span> <span class="reading-time-calculation__estimate" id="reading-time-estimate"></span> <span class="reading-time-calculation__suffix">minutes</span> </span> <script src="/site/scripts/CalculateReadingTime.min.js"></script> </p> <div class="body-text" id="calculate-reading-time"> <p>This <a href="/media/il0mrio4/24-15-opencast-mining-en.pdf" title="Restoration of opencast mines"><strong>research briefing</strong></a> explores policy and practical issues relating to the restoration of opencast mining sites in Wales.</p> <p>It looks at the history of restoration provisions and the challenges these brought, and outlines the Welsh context, touching on planning policy and best practice guidance. It examines the restoration picture across Wales and sets out the situation relating to a number of opencast mining sites, including Wales’s last opencast site – Ffos y Fran in Merthyr Tydfil.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Article by <a href="mailto:Chloe.Corbyn@senedd.wales">Chloe Corbyn</a>, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament</strong></p> </div> </div>  <div class="content-page__right-col"> <div class="side-bar__container tags "> <h2 class="side-bar__title ">Topics</h2> <div class="tag__container"> <a class="tag " href="/topics/environment/"> Environment </a> </div> <div class="tag__container"> <a class="tag " href="/search/?SiteHomePageId=1426&Culture=en-GB&Tags=Energy"> Energy </a> </div> <div class="tag__container"> <a class="tag " href="/search/?SiteHomePageId=1426&Culture=en-GB&Tags=Planning"> Planning </a> </div> </div> <div class="side-bar__container"> <h2 class="side-bar__title">Helpful links</h2> <ul class="container quick-links__container--content-page"> <li 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The legacy of Wales’s opencast mining past: the precarious restoration situation